Teachers lament delay of salary increase

MANILA, Philippines – Public school teachers lamented that the second tranche of the salary increase due them under the Salary Standardization Law III, or Republic Act No. 6758, has not yet been issued in their recent salaries.

France Castro, secretary-general of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), said that the almost half a million public school teachers were deeply disappointed by the government’s failure to give them the salary increase.

“In 2008 and 2009, public school teachers and personnel led by the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) consistently attended Senate and House committee hearings and sessions to show continuous support for the P9,000 salary increase in three years.

Last June 23, 2010, Executive Order 900 was issued stating that the second tranche of increase due to all government personnel in government agencies, government owned and controlled corporations, government financial institutions, state colleges and universities, and civilian personnel of the executive, legislative and the judiciary shall be implemented effective June 24, 2010.

National Budget 524 issued on the same date provided for the implementing rules and guidelines.

“Public school teachers are at the middle of the Salary Classification and they were entitled to an increase of P6,500 for four years. Positions that are in the higher level of the Salary classification, including that of the President of the Philippines , is entitled to a higher rate of increase. The whole classification system seems inequitable and then the increase due us is unavailable,” Castro said. –Rainier Allan Ronda (The Philippine Star)